Improvement in variable signs



L. NIELA-NDER. VARIABLE szeus.

Patentedflct. 17, 1875. I

1w: wlw. elm-lo M140.

Witnesses.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

LOUIS NIELANDER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

l-MPRQVEMENT lN VARIABLE SIGNS.

Specification forming part of'L etters Patent No. 183,414, dated October 17, 1876 application filed June 6, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LoUIs NIELKN ER, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and .State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Variable Signs, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a face view of my sign. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

My improvement relates to the construction of variable signs; and consists in the combination of a back plate, which is provided with flanges on two opposite edges, of a face-plate, which is slid under the flanges of the back plate, a key which is shoved under the faceplate, and of a series of letters, which are slid under the flanges of the back plate and over the face-plate, in such a mannerthat by the action of the key the face-plate and letters are firmly clamped in position. The back plate is provided 'with a groove to receive and hold the key in the proper relative position to its concomitant parts. 1

In the drawing, the letter A designates the back plate of my sign, and b b are its flanges. O is the face-plate, which is made of cardboard or other flexible material, and D are the letters or letter-plates, which, as well as the face-plates, are slid under the flanges b b of the back plate, the letters being uppermost. E is a key, which is shoved under the face-plate G, and which is made of wood or other suitable material. When this key E is put in place, the face-plate O and the letters D are thereby bulged out or curved in crosssection, as seen in Fig. 2, and by this means the said plate and letters are firmly clamped in the flanges b b. In order to impart a symmetrical shapeto the sign, the key E should be slid under the central portion of the faceplate 0 and to this end I provide the back plate A with a groove, f, to receive the key, such groove being made as nearly as possible in the central part of the back plate. By sliding the key in the groove f a concentric curve is given to the face-plate O and the let- .made of sheet metal, and its object is to assist in preserving the symmetrical shape of the face-plate.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a variable sign, of

a flanged back plate, A, a flexible face-plate,

O, a key, E, and letters D, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as described.

2. The combination of a guidegroove, f, with the flanged back plate A, key E, flexible face-plate O, and letters E, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 2d. day of June, 1876.

LOUIS NIELANDER. [L.S.]

Witnesses SAMUEL MGMASTERS, AUG. PLOEG-ER. 

